One Shots: Can We Try Again
by storygirllo87
Summary: Quick glances into my favorite version of Olivia and Fitz. Based on the characters in my previous story: Can We Try Again
1. Chapter 1

**Sooooo...I know I owe you guys a prequel. And, I promise that I'm working on it. Its almost done actually. But, in the midst of me writing that I had an idea for a series of one-shots. I didn't really want to continue Can We Try Again with entire storylines and plot but I had fun writing this version of the Grant Family.(Plus, that whole Vermont comment Fitz made gave me all types of fanfic feels)...SO, here's the first chapter of my concept. It gets a little steamy but I did have a request from 'Chak' to "please let them finish next time"lol. Let me know if you like the idea, or totally hate it.**

**Oh, and I still DO NOT OWN SCANDAL...If I did, Fitz and Olivia would already be in Vermont, four kids later, with him as mayor, and her making jam;)**

* * *

"Wakey, wakey."

"Hm?"

"You guys fell asleep," she whispered into his temple before laying a tender kiss against the same spot. Fitz blinked slowly as he got his bearings and cleared his throat with a groggy voice.

"Just a little nap. How was karate?" He sat up from his slouched position on the couch in their warmly lit family room, careful not to disturb Aubrey who's head rested on his lap.

"Good." The grin on her face widened as she thought about the nights events, slowly grazing her fingers through his thick locks. "They managed to get Tom in for a quick demo. It was pretty funny."

He laid his head back against the couch again, closing his eyes as he was soothed by the feeling of her light scratches against his scalp. _Like father, like son_, she thought.

"I'm glad it was fun." He yawned and cleared his throat. "Where's Jackson?"

"Upstairs getting ready for bed. I think our little guy is beat."

"I bet. School, violin lesson, and karate in one day will do that to a seven year-old."

"Every Friday. I asked him tonight if he wants to put music lessons or karate on hold. But, he adamantly rejected that idea. So-"

"So he likes being busy and overworked. Like someone I know." He looked up at Olivia with his eyes barely open and a lazy smile lingering on his face. She gave a silly face, knowing who he was referring to. "I'm gonna go say hey to him before he knocks out."

Fitz began to reposition himself to stand, shifting Aubrey gently so as not to wake her.

"I'll get this one to bed," Olivia said as she nodded her head down and looked at her sleeping daughter. "Good thing she already has her PJs on. That's a battle I didn't feel like fighting."

"I knew she wouldnt last through the whole movie so I made sure she changed and brushed her teeth."

"Was that before or after the gummy bears?" Liv asked as they both turned their attention to a pile of candy that sat on the coffee table in front of the TV.

"She only had a few."

"Mmmhmm."

"Really. They were for me." Both Olivia and Fitz knew that when it came to the kids, he was the pushover. He would discipline them sternly only if absolutely necessary. In most instances, though, he was the parent to bend the rules on things, especially when it came to topics of junk food and bedtimes.

"Listen," he said gently as he got up and stood closely to her body, "I'll bring her up. You just relax. Its been a long day for you, too."

He brought both hands to cup her face as his sleepy eyes shifted between her warm brown orbs and her full pink lips. It was as if he had a million thoughts running through his mind, but didn't want to share the secret.

"What?"

"Nothing," he subtly shrugged. "You're just beautiful is all."

She gently chuckled at her husband.

"I think somebody's a little delirious."

"Maybe. But that doesn't change the fact that the mother of my children is beautiful," he said with the corner of his lips curved in a smirk and an eyebrow raised. He leaned down to meet Olivia's pout with a simple kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," she sweetly replied as her hands laid lazily against his lower back. Their foreheads rested together with their eyes closed in contentment.

"So I'll go get Bre settled and check on Jackson. And then we can cuddle and watch a movie? Maybe have some wine?"

"Mmmm. That sounds good to me. I'm gonna go jump in the shower first, then."

"'Kay."

He kissed her lips once more before turning his attention to a sleeping Aubrey on the couch. Olivia stood in place as he attempted to position their youngest in his arms. It was always amusing to watch him maneuver her while she was asleep. Her full head of curls splayed all over the place, usually covering her entire face, her limbs hanging lifelessly. All the while, Fitz trying to make sure she was comfortable, and not woken up. Olivia had a few fingers covering her grin as she looked on, Fitz rolling his eyes with a smile of his own before turning to head up the stairs.

After the kids were settled she was interrupted in her shower by the voice she didn't think she'd ever grow tired of.

"Want some company?"

The answer was 'yes'. It would always be 'yes'.

"Maybe."

Olivia had been enjoying the quiet time in her shower as the warm water trickled down her body. The only thing that could've made the feeling more perfect was the company of a special someone. And here he was.

"We haven't enjoyed a shower together in forever," he said as he undressed and she watched on from the open shower door.

"I know. I've missed it." Olivia reached out her hand, which Fitz accepted as he walked into the shower with her. Their bodies met under the water as he held her tightly against him. They stood together in silence letting their embrace relax them from the days activities.

Fitz was the first to pull back slightly, just enough so he could tilt her head up with his index finger under her chin. His lips slowly latched onto hers, his tongue wasting no time before exploring her warm mouth. His large hands cradled Olivia's slender face as their kiss deepened. She moaned a breath into him, loving the feeling of their mouths and bodies touching one another's. The palm of their hands began rubbing up and down each others backs. Slowly, deeply, and soothingly exploring each other as if for the first time. Fitz gently walked her backwards into one of the shower walls before lowering his head to taste the soft skin of Olivia's neck. At the same time he gingerly lifted her thigh to rest it around his waist. The length of his pronounced erection pressing against her stomach aroused her even more, leaving her saying his name breathlessly.

While kissing him, she dropped one hand in between them and grabbed onto his rock hard member. Her fingers wrapped around his always impressive girth and began sliding up and down him, using just the right amount of pressure. To torture him a little more she grazed her thumb over his tip, forcing out an unexpected groan from his mouth. His head rolled back as he enjoyed the amazing feeling of the warm water beating on his back, and his sexy wife pulling at him with the perfect rhythm.

"Fuck that's good," he said in a strained voice.

Under hooded eyes Olivia watched her husbands facial expressions. If she didn't know any better she'd think he was in pain. But, knowing how much he loved when she did that to him, she accepted his reaction as utter satisfaction.

He rolled his head forward again and placed one hand against the wall, just to the side of Olivia's head. The other hand wrapped around hers, helping her get him off. The both watched as they pumped slowly up and down his shaft. Olivia could feel her bodily fluids dripping down her inner thigh as she became consumed with desire for her husband. She subtly looked up at him, her lips slightly hanging open as she tried to regulate her breathing. He was still watching them jerk him off, almost in a trance.

"Fitz," she whispered, almost inaudible with the shower still going. Her free hand slowly traced down his body, first his neck, then chest, abs, and finally resting barely on his ass. "You are so sexy to me."

He looked at her, this beautiful creature in front of him, telling him that he was sexy. He couldn't believe he got to call her his wife.

"Turn around," he gently demanded.

She did as she was told, laying both hands against his thighs as his body pressed into hers from behind.

"I want you so bad right now, Liv," he growled against her shoulder as his large hands reached in front, squeezing her breasts firmly.

"God, Fitz," she whined as his thumb and pointer finger pinched at both nipples at the same time. He was getting in a zone, and it would seem that she was too.

She was pressed against the clear but steamed shower wall, his hands still massaging his favorite mounds. He licked and nipped all over the back of her shoulders and neck as she began to grind her ass into his cock. It was perfectly positioned in between both cheeks for her to move up and down, another form of foreplay that they both loved.

"Fuck, Liv. I'm going to come before I even get inside of you." He spoke against her skin, his eyes shut as she continued to put a spell on him with the magic of her hips.

She could feel the tightness of her inner walls craving for his contact. So, she lifted a hand to the back of his head and pulled his face next to hers as she lowered her voice to a sexy, sultry tone.

"Then I suggest you get inside of me, Mr. President."

Fitz gulped at the sound of her voice. He almost lost it right then and there, but recovered quickly. He brought both hands down to her waist before bringing one to grab his cock.

"So, it's a Mr. President kind of night, huh?" He positioned his entire member in between her legs, allowing her access to grind her sweet juices along his length.

"Don't tease me."

"Call me that again. My naughty Communications Director."

"Mr. President."

"Mmmmmm. I love that. You want it?"

"Please-"

Fitz swiftly entered her, causing her to gasp in pleasure at the feeling. He slid in her deeply, both standing straight with one hand on her hip, the other with their fingers intertwined against the wall above her head. She moved in slow circles as he took his time stretching her out.

"Step back a little." She whispered as she bent over in front of him, forcing Fitz to obey her command. "Don't move."

He did as told, folding his hands behind his own back as he watched his wife work him. She rolled her hips as she slid forward and back against him. His jaw tightened but she could hear him groan with each movement.

"Damn. That feels so good, Liv."

"Mmmmm."

Not only did it feel amazing when she worked him like that, but he couldn't get over how visually erotic it was for him to watch her.

He groaned behind gritted teeth, trying to not to feel overcome. "Yes, do that."

Olivia continued to slide herself back and forth his entire length, dipping her hips at just the right times to give them both incredible sensations.

"Shit," he hissed under his breath.

"Is that good, Mr. President?"

"Hell yes." He bent over so his chest was pressed against hers as he began to moan against her ear. "I'm not going to last, Livvie."

His right hand wrapped around her waist as his left began to strum her bundle of nerves in rhythm with their hip movements. He always used just the right amount of pressure when it came to stimulating her, and this time was no different.

"Jesus, Fitz." Her hand slammed against the wall as she felt herself beginning to unravel.

"Come for me."

He rolled his pelvis forward and back, letting her tight walls release him and pull him back in. Olivia moaned and whimpered in pleasure, drowning in the sea of bliss that Fitz provided. His movements began to switch, the longer they went. He began using more force, determined to hit her spot and send her over the edge. As he pumped into her all he could do was grunt, assuring her that he was giving his all.

Before he knew it she was standing up straight, turning herself around, with her back slammed into the wall. He didn't care what position they were in, as long as he was inside of her. Olivia's legs quickly wrapped at his waist as he held her closely, grinding into her as their bodies connected as one. Her back slid up and down the shower wall as her hips rolled into his with each thrust. Before long her eyes were rolling shut and her teeth were biting into her lower lip.

"Don't stop."

"Come for me, Liv." He buried his face in the crook of her neck as her head dropped to the side of his face. Olivia could barely breathe as she panted uncontrollably against his ear. "God, please come for me."

Within seconds her body responded to his demands. He quickly covered her mouth with his as he swallowed her loud moans, shortly feeling the explosion of his own orgasm race through his body.

They stood in that position for a moment as they regulated their breaths, their hearts beating against the others chest. As their limbs finally began to loosen against one another's, Fitz placed Olivia back on her feet, still holding her closely as she stood on shaky legs. Her hands lazily cradled his face and she gave Fitz a wicked grin that he reflected back.

"That was good."

"That was more than good," she responded with a lick of her lips.

He lifted a hand to her chin as he let his thumb glide along her lower lip.

"You have the sexiest mouth."

"You have the sexiest everything."

"Is that your way of saying you want round two?"

She threw her head back in laughter, Fitz watching her with a smile. He kissed her shoulder and spoke against it.

"Come on, baby. lets go again. You didn't let me taste you."

"You were too busy hitting it from the back." The mischievous twinkle in their eye that they shared was undeniable. "The waters getting cold, mister. And you promised me a movie."

"You're right. You're absolutely right."

And with that they took their time washing up, getting changed and settling in bed.

"Which movie did you pick?" She asked in the dimly lit room as they both sat against their headboard and she nuzzled under his arm, with her wine glass in hand.

"A Beautiful Mind."

"Ooooo good one."

"Glad you approve." Fitz took a swig from his glass before setting it on his nightstand and grabbing the remote.

"Of course. You know my obsession with Russell Crowe is more than healthy," she teased looking up at him from the corner of her eye.

"Yes, I know. That picture of you two at the White House Correspondents Dinner is still framed in our library."

"He's just so delicious. And he smelled so good. Any woman with two eyes and a-"

"I'm sitting right here, Olivia," he teased dryly while clicking through the DVD menu.

"I know, honey. I'm just saying...He's my backup husband. Whether he knows it or not, I'm not sure."

"I'm going to go with 'no'. In any case, _I_ wanted to watch this movie in particular, because it has Jennifer Connelly in it. And we both know-"

"She's your next wife. Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Don't hate."

"Not at all. If you're into that type of woman..." she dismissively waved her hand and enjoyed another sip of wine. "Okay, its starting. No more talking."

He paused the opening scene and looked over at her with a serious look on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked, suddenly confused.

"Before we start, whoever falls asleep first has breakfast duty tomorrow and Sunday."

"What? No. Hell no. Tomorrow, okay. But, Sunday? That's a different story."

Olivia was always the one to fall asleep first. Always. It was a running joke between them. Earlier in their relationship it was Fitz who fell asleep moments into the movie. But since the kids, Olivia couldn't get through one-third of a film without dozing off and adding a light snore to the sound effects of the cinematic soundtrack. So, both knowing how the night would probably end up, Olivia passionately protested his proposition.

"Don't fall asleep first and you won't have to worry about it," he said charmingly.

"Fitz..."

"What?" _He sure does play the innocent card well_, she thought.

"You're really annoying sometimes, you know that?" She seemed slightly irritated, in a playful yet possibly serious way. Whether he'd ever admit it or not, he got a kick out of pushing her buttons in such subtle ways.

"Give me a kiss," he requested with a smirk.

"No." She didn't shift her gaze, still looking straight ahead at the flat screen, sipping her wine. "Press play."

"I will. Just give me a kiss first."

"Stop," she whined. It was getting late, the shower took longer than planned, and she knew he was having his fun while pestering her. "Just play the movie."

"We cannot have great shower sex, lay in our perfectly lit bedroom, enjoy wine and popcorn-but have you pouting because you think you might lose a bet. So, spread some love, and give me a kiss. Give your man some sugar."

She hated when he said that phrase, only because it sounded corny. Actually, she thought it was funny when he said it, but hated that she found such an obnoxious phrase cute. So, she turned her face to look up at him, attempting to hide the smirk creeping at her mouth.

"You're fortunate I like you, Grant." Olivia stretched up a little to meet Fitz halfway for a sweet, gentle kiss.

"Mmm. Thank you," he said warmly as they resumed their previous position with her head resting between his arm and chest. He pulled her body tightly against his and laid another kiss in her hair."Russell Crowe my ass. I'd beat the hell out of him before I let him take you from me."

"Don't hate. Now, press play."

**Thoughts/Comments? Should I keep writing one-shots? Its such a random concept, and they wont always be fluffy and sexy, but at least its an inside peek at this version of Olivia and Fitz. Leave me a comment to let me know what you think or if you have any ideas. The feedback from you guys helps me out a lot. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Did you still want to stop for a bite on the way home?"

Nothing.

"Liv, did you want to stop or not?"

She moved her head slightly with her lips pursed, still looking out of their tinted car window. It was nighttime and Tom was driving them home, giving her the perfect opportunity to ignore Fitz.

"Olivia-"

"What, Fitz?" She said in a harsh tone, whipping her head in his direction. "What?"

"Enough," he growled with finality, his eyes intensely fixated on hers. "This...the silent treatment- I'm over it. Buck up, and use your words. Lord knows you have a whole arsenal."

She looked at him, always surprised and irritated when he took that tone with her. Olivia's narrowed eyebrows and tightened jaw proved that this time was no different.

"Yeah, I said it." He wasn't backing down."Stop giving me the cold shoulder. We're way past that and frankly I don't think I did anything to deserve it."

"You're serious right now?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

She scoffed at his boldness.

"Nothing to deserve it, huh? Maybe, just maybe, the fact that you told me to 'be quiet' during our first parent-teacher conference for Aubrey-maybe that deserves a little bit of silence on our ride home."

"Are you kidding me?" He asked the question with a look of disgust on his face. "I did not tell you to be quiet. I would never demean you that way and you know it. I simply told two women, who were beginning to argue like they were on an episode of Judge Judy, to quiet down and not let things escalate."

"Telling her to quiet down is one thing, Fitz," she spat back,"But me-"

"You were both yelling at each other, Olivia! And the argument was ridiculous and unnecessary. Whether or not she's treating Aubrey unfairly? Really?"

"She _is_ treating her unfairly!"

"Maybe. But yelling at her and calling her incompetent is-"

"I'm not going to sit here and say I'm proud of that moment. I'm not. I got a little wrapped up."

"Understatement," he mumbled to himself.

"Fitz, she was wrong. Saying that Aubrey has behavioral issues? Is that a joke? Because the classroom lessons are clearly too simple for a child that's ready for more challenging information? Yeah, okay." Her sarcastic tone didn't go unnoticed. As usual.

"Liv-and this isn't me taking sides, so don't even go that route-But when she mentioned that Aubrey has a tendency to be a leader and the kids look to her as an example? If she's busy doing her own thing-"

"Being a leader is good! Look at who her father is! Of course she's going to have that in her blood. It's because she's a cute, charming girl that happens to be from a well-known family, that her teacher feels threatened-"

"I don't think she feels threatened by a five year old."

"I beg to differ," she shot back adamantly, her eyes piercing through his as the highway lights flashed through the car.

"Liv, I don't know," he softened as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "All I know is I've been to plenty parent teacher conferences and I've never seen one go down like that."

"I've been to plenty myself," she said, clearly offended at his insinuation. "Jacksons teachers never made claims like that. I'm not going to sit back and accept a woman trying to paint a picture of my daughter as a disrespectful, obnoxious, over-privileged princess who's the ringleader of all that are rebellious  
at Cambridge Preps Kindergarten program! Not gonna happen."

"I'm not asking you to let that happen," he said tiredly while rubbing his eyes.

Olivia should've taken the hint to end the conversation, but she wasn't sure her husband understood the point yet.

"She's trying to make an example out of my kid for her own professional advancement. _The teacher that straightened out Fitzgerald and Olivia Grants daughter_."

"Well, it _is_ true that Aubrey is a chatterbox if she's not kept busy."

"Maybe so. But in that case, her teacher should nip it in the bud right as the problem is taking place, pulling her aside and explaining to her-"

"Liv," he laughs and shakes his head at her seemingly ridiculous comment,"she has a room full of five and six year olds. I don't think she can sit Aubrey down every time, in the middle of class, to give her a full discourse on how shes speaking too much, and not interrupting... That's just not a realistic expectation. Asking her to do that is-"

"Not a realistic expectation? Not a realistic-It most definitely is _more_ than realistic expectation, Fitz. There's a reason we are sending our children to one of the most prestigious private schools in the country." Olivia paused to take a deep breath but it only made her angrier. "Do you even _know_ how much money we're paying for that education?! Do you? Between Tuition and donations alone we practically funded that schools programs for the entire year. They might as well etch our fucking initials on every tile and brick! So, Ms. Ivy-League-Pretentious-Know-It-All better damn well take the time out, at some point in her oh-so-busy day, to talk to my daughter one on one, if she truly believes there are behavioral issues. Rather than keeping score of the incidents, saving them for our parent teacher conference, and threatening with things like detention and school transfers! Completely unacceptable!"

"You're pissed off because you didn't like the teachers comments. Fine. But-

"I don't like her or her comments."

"Me either! She's an uptight, arrogant, self-righteous know-it-all-"

"Who was probably getting her diaper changed by her underpaid nanny while I was busy running Washington-" he gave her a look, "well, technically that was you running Washington but you get the point. Either way, that young brat of a teacher can take her suggestions and shove it up her-"

"Olivia. You've made your point, okay? Cool it. This isn't OPA where you're meeting with a seedy politician in a darkened back alley. She's a kindergarten teacher that took things a little overboard, and you just followed her right down the same path."

Suddenly she felt slightly embarrassed. Fitz was right. She hated it when he was right.

"Look, there are ways to remedy this situation. First, we have GOT to talk to Aubrey about the whole thing. Get some feedback from her about her perspective. Maybe she doesn't even realize there's a problem... Then, we absolutely need to sit down with the teacher and the dean-"

"Just the dean. I have no interest in speaking with that other one any time soon."

"Fine," he subtly rolled his eyes, "the dean. And explain that we've made adjustments at home but we'd like to see more hands on care when it comes to day to day classroom time. I can call him to-"

"I'll set up the appointment in the morning. You have that thing you should be preparing for."

"_I'm_ calling him," he responded with finality. "My speaking conference isn't until next week. One phone call to Mr. Kirkpatrick won't ruin any preparation on my end."

The car stopped and they were finally home from their surprisingly dramatic evening.

"Are we talking to her about this tonight?"

"I think that's best." He looked at his watch."It's not that late. She's probably not even had her bath yet."

"Alright let's do this." Olivia undid her seatbelt and opened her door, ready to tackle it head on. But she halted all movements when she realized Fitz was still sitting in place. He could feel her giving him a look so he turned his face to hers.

"I need a minute."

"It's not rocket science Fitz. She's five. We go in there, we-"

"Olivia," he said harshly. "Please. Just...stop. You are on some other shit tonight. I don't—"

"Excuse me? You-"

He held his hand up to stop her, and to his surprise she actually quieted.

"Just stop. All I'm saying is-I need a moment before going in there and dealing with mini-Olivia, who will have every good intention but will challenge every last thing I say."

"Fitz-"

"Just, a minute." He had slightly softened. "You can sit in here. If that's what you want. I just need a moment of quiet. Okay?"

She looked at him, deciding what her reaction would be. But, she was over trying to get on the same page with her husband.

"I'll go inside and relieve James of his duties." They were completely out of sync, for some reason, and Fitz didn't like it.

"Liv-"

"No. It's fine."

Olivia exited the car without looking back, leaving Fitz to his thoughts for a while. By the time he got inside James had already left and Aubrey was finishing up taking a bath. He walked in the bathroom, rolling up his sleeves as Liv wrapped their daughter in her favorite bunny robe.

"Daddy!" She squealed in excitement. Olivia tied her robe for her and let her rush over to Fitz.

"How's my girl?" Fitz asked as he got on his knees and kissed his daughters forehead.

"Uncle James let me and Jackson make brownies!"

"Did you save any for me?"

"Uh-huh. You and mommy have one to share."

"One to share? How generous." He sat down on the floor so his back was against the wall. Aubrey made herself comfortable in his lap while Olivia sat on a little chair from one of the kids play sets.

"So, Aubrey, we talked to Miss Rawlings tonight about you and all the cool stuff you get to do in her class," she said, bringing up the topic casually.

"We made posters with every number up to 100 on it." Aubrey beamed with energy even though her bedtime was getting closer.

"Daddy and I saw that. Did you have fun making it?"

"Mhm. I made mine out of 100 noodles. And my group got to color them any color we wanted."

"Very neat," Fitz responded, burying his nose in her curls and kissing her head. Olivia knew that if she waited for him to bring up the issue, they'd sit there all night while Fitz remained entranced by his youngest daughter. So, Olivia decided to pull the trigger and play the bad cop role.

"Listen, Bre," she said seriously while interlacing her own fingers together and leaning forward, "your teacher mentioned that sometimes, when she's talking and teaching you and your classmates new stuff, that you don't always pay attention."

Aubrey leaned back into her Dads chest and looked across at her mother with a confused face. Then she looked up at Fitz, who responded with raised eyebrows, waiting for her to respond.

"Do you sometimes get in trouble for talking too much?" He simply asked. "Or for telling the teacher what to do?"

"No." She really was the sweetest girl, but both of her parents knew she had a mouth on her and would never admit to being a troublemaker in school. Fitz and Olivia shared a look, silently deciding to keep questioning their daughter.

"Does your teacher ever have to ask you to pay attention?" Olivia asked as gently as possible.

"No, Mommy," she said innocently with widened eyes.

"Aubrey?" Liv was getting irritated at beating around the bush. That was the complete opposite of how she typically operated. Aubrey must have been able to feel the tension growing because she buried her face into Fitz' chest. He couldn't help but wrap one arm around her, and lift her face to look at him with his free hand. It was always a strange feeling to look into her eyes, considering they were the exact replica of his.

"You won't get in trouble, Bre. Mommy and I just want to make sure you're learning as much as possible at school."

"Does your teacher sometimes sound boring, Aubrey?" Olivia asked bluntly.

Fitz shot his head up and looked at Olivia with a death glare. She bugged her eyes back, everything unbeknownst to their daughter.

"Sometimes." Aubrey's faint voice pulled them out of their silent anger. "But, if she sounds boring I just keep reading in my book until everyone else gets there."

"Gotcha." Olivia said more to herself, nodding in understanding.

"Do you show other kids what's ahead in the book?" Fitz asked.

"Sometimes. But only if its private reading time," she said sweetly in her own defense. "I don't do it if Miss Rawlings is talking."

"Okay," Olivia responded. "Well that's nice of you to show other kids what's ahead in the book. But private reading time is supposed to be quiet, right?"

"I guess," she said in an exasperated tone, rolling her eyes to herself. Apparently her parents were asking too many questions for her liking.

"Watch the eyes, miss." Fitz was putty in his kids hands, but he never allowed any form of disrespect.

Aubrey started sulking, realizing that she was officially getting in trouble. This was taking a bit longer than planned so Olivia cut right to it.

"Look. Aubrey. You cannot speak during class. You know how Daddy and I talk about showing respect to us because we're your parents?"

She nodded her head 'yes'.

"Well, it's the same thing for Miss Rawlings."

"You have to be quiet and listen so that you can learn as much as possible." Fitz was finally playing backup.

"Okay," she agreed with a small whine.

"And no reading ahead or teaching the others kids during class. Okay?" Olivia wanted to make sure they were on the same page.

"Okay."

"Okay." Fitz gave the final word, ending the conversation in full.

Olivia stood from her spot on the small chair and threw the towel over her shoulder. Fitz stood with Aubrey in his arms and gently placed her on her feet.

"Can you read me a story before bed?" She looked up Olivia while attempting to push her curls out of her face.

"After you brush your teeth Daddy will read to you a little in bed."

"But, I want both of you," she complained in a strained voice.

"Sweetie, we can't. I promised Jackson he could read to me tonight. Daddy will—"

"I want both of you!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, Olivia and Fitz both staring at her stunned. He was able to hide his expression a little better than Liv, whose face was a mix between anger and shock.

"Aubrey Genevieve Grant! I don't know what has gotten into you tonight. But you better pull yourself together. Brush your teeth. And go to your room."

Aubrey scrunched her face in defiance, but walked over to the sink, placed herself on the stool, and began to brush her teeth. Olivia and Fitz stepped in the hallway while she brushed.

"She's being a monster tonight," Liv whispered with a lowered voice in utter frustration. "What the hell was in those brownies?"

"I really don't know what that was about. I—I'll read to her for fifteen minutes but I think she needs to sleep."

"I'm going to read with Jackson. She's getting entirely too much attention tonight."

"I'll see you when you're done."

"Yeah," she said dismissively, turning to walk towards Jackson's room. Fitz quickly grabbed her by her wrist to get her attention before she walked away. "What?" It was too late in the day for her to care if she sounded bitchy.

"It's just an off night, Liv. Everything's okay."

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Fitz' calming demeanor had a slight effect on her. Having him hold her wrist delicately, the light graze of his thumb tracing soothing circles on her skin, his deep voice. For a moment she realized that he was exactly right. They were just having a bad night. But, in the back of her mind she couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than that.

About half an hour later they were both stripping themselves of their clothes from the day, and getting ready for bed. Olivia was first to sit under the covers and begin her nighttime ritual of vitamins, lotion, and reading material. Fitz had stripped down to his briefs and slid in bed, sitting as close as possible to her against their headboard, despite the fact that their bed was big enough to not have to touch.

They sat in silence, Olivia ignoring him as she began reading her book, Fitz trying to figure out how to fix their horrific evening. He decided to just go for it, leaning over and kissing Olivia's next slowly.

"Stop," she said, leaning away from him. "We are absolutely not having sex right now."

"I'm not trying to have sex with you. It's just a kiss."

She didn't respond, instead flipping the page in her book to continue reading. Fitz was fed up. So, he snatched her book, closed it, and placed it on his nightstand. Olivia was exhausted, looking at him emotionless.

"Really?" She said in a monotone voice.

"You are so stubborn, you know that? Why are you so stubborn? This is dragging on way longer than necessary."

"This is dragging on because you won't let it die."

"I won't let it-? Olivia, I'm over it. I've been over it. We had an off night. That's it."

"It was more than an off night, Fitz. How you spoke to me...during that conference and even on the way home? I'm not one of your subordinates or some stupid housewife. I'm-"

"That's what this is about?" He moved away from her and clicked on a small light to his side of the bed. "That's-wow." He stood up and began pacing, a habit he had picked up from his wife. "We really are on two different pages tonight."

"You know I'm right. I looked like your average stay at home Mom, who let her oh-so-important-husband pull rank on her, all in front of a stranger."

"No," he said, halting his movements to look at her. "You looked like my wife that was about to get into a physical altercation with our daughters kindergarten teacher. Your ego took a hit tonight." He had his own lightbulb moment, almost finding it wickedly humorous. All of the circles they had talked themselves in all night..."That's what set you off."

"Maybe it was!" She yelled, realizing how quickly everything was escalating, not intending to wake the kids. "Maybe it was," she hissed quietly, "but you shouldn't-"

"I shouldn't what?" he cut her off angrily just above a whisper. "Voice my opinion? Try to diffuse the situation? Because, that's all I did."

She whipped off the covers from her legs and stood, walking right over to where Fitz was.

"You need to show some respect."

"Don't even start that. I respect you more than anything. You didn't like that I shut down your Olivia Pope rant."

Olivia stood in front of him, their eyes battling one another's for who would break first. She let out an irritated groan behind gritted teeth and turned around to grab a pillow off of the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep in the guest room."

As she bent over to get a spare blanket from the chest in front of their bed, Fitz walked up behind her and grabbed her hips. He pulled her body flush against his. Olivia's initially reaction was to pull away from her husband but she failed, being that her height and weight were no match to his.

"Just wait, Liv. Wait," he said quietly in her ear holding her tightly.

"Fitz..." She didn't have it in her to fight anymore. For some reason, she felt like crying.

"Livvie, wait." He held her just as tight, taking a minute before slowly loosening his arms from around her. As Fitz turned her to face him, he could see the distress in her eyes and cupped her cheeks. "Livvie..."

"This isn't fair, Fitz. You cant treat me like shit all night, and then ask to cuddle. Thats not how this works." Her voice was breaking, making him feel like a total ass.

"I'm sorry that you feel like I treated you like shit tonight." He seemed genuine but Olivia wasn't ready to accept his apology. So, they stood there with Fitz cupping her cheeks, and Olivia sulking, staring at his chest, with her arms hanging at her side.

"Hey," he said firmly, attempting to command her attention. She didn't comply. "Hey," he repeated, this time holding her face tighter and lifting it so their eyes met. "This is a real thing. Maybe we should talk about this. Maybe now is the time."

"Thats not what this is about, Fitz."

"Olivia-"

"Not completely," she finally conceded.

"You're not some stupid housewife or average stay at home mom. You're Olivia Pope-Grant. If you don't feel...if you don't feel like," he was struggling to verbalized his thoughts. It was obviously delicate territory. "I think you miss it. And there's nothing wrong with that. But we can't ignore that fact if its how you're feeling."

"Our children are in elementary school. Do you know what type of-"

"Yeah. They're in elementary school. And, you know what? In a few years, middle school, then high school, then college. So what? I have my position on the board at Georgetown. That's a nice distraction, when I want it. But, you? You've thrown yourself into motherhood and you've navigated it beautifully. But, maybe it's time. I think it's time."

She didn't respond, the internal battle in her own mind evident to Fitz. "Talk to me, Liv. Say something."

She waited a minute before replying.

"Maybe it's time," Olivia said faintly.

"Harrison's been dying to get you back in the office since Stephen left. We've been talking about this for a while now. I think it's finally something you should try."

"Fixer by day, mommy by night," she said under her breath with a faint chuckle.

"Is that what you want?  
Would that make you happy?"

She nodded."Maybe...Yeah...Yes."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Now can we stop this?" He asked as he dipped at his knees to be eye level with her. "The fighting and being at each others throats. The tension is a bit thick for my liking."

"I know."

"And no more of that silent treatment bullshit. You know that gets me going."

"I know. Sorry," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I said, I know."

"No, after that."

"Yes, I apologized. I'm sorry."

He chuckled quietly and hugged her tightly. Olivia's arms wrapped around his midsection.

"You drive me so crazy, Liv."

"I know," she spoke into his chest.

"And yet I can't seem to get enough of you," he said sweetly before kissing the top of her head.

They separated only to meet in the middle of the bed, naturally laying in a spooning position. Fitz pulled her body into his, kissing her neck, lightly licking and nipping it slowly.

"We're still not having sex," she mumbled, more exhausted than anything.

"I'm entirely too tired for it anyway. Unless you did all the work," he teased pulling her against him so her soft ass was pressing against his stiffening member.

"Not happening," Olivia yawned, making Fitz laugh. "Tonight sucked."

"Tonight sucked big time."

"But, that teacher really was an asshole."

"Liv," he sighed, "go to sleep."


End file.
